#human growth and development class

[squilfmybeloved]

the feminine urge to be a mother because you have a stupid stupid dumb uterus and stupid dumb girl hormones

[fiapple]

Okay, you know that scene in Catwoman v.1 where Selina begs Maggie to scream, cry, lash out, & curse her rather than turn to a darker version of herself?

I need you to understand that, if it were written with any sense of integrity, that would be the attitude Bruce has towards Jason post-resurrection. At least after becoming privy to the fact that Jason does not personally blame Bruce for his death.

In my opinion, Bruce would sell his arm for a penny on a streetcorner providing it gave Jason non-homicidal means of coping, for Jason to view him as responsible, as a second murderer. For him to curse "hereoism", & vigilantes, & the whole fucking lifestyle- decry it as an unbelievable farce & leave it all behind to go back to being Jason Todd of Crime Alley, who only did what he had to do to survive. Bruce would be so far beyond willing to carry that weight if it meant his boy would be off the track of his homicidally self-destructive rampage. If it meant Jason realizing he is more than just a revenant, that he is alive, that he can have a life.

The only way it makes any sense to me is if Bruce would accept, even embrace a world in which Jason views him as a horrible dad, an irredeemable piece of shit who is directly responsible for his murder, if it just meant that Jason did not have to utterly sacrafice his sense of humanity & compassion to make it through the world. He'd give near anything for it or it makes no sense. That's his son. His son who was dead but is now alive, for all he does not seem to grasp that himself.

Also he should have let Jason pop the clown. Not even for ethical reasons, but in the chase of giving Jason a chance at the realization in the world they do live in where Jason will not allow himself to view Bruce that way. Because he refuses to harm his son, or let him be taken in another explosion. Not when he just got him back, not when his son has not even gotten the chance to truly come back to life.

(I also think it would be a far more interesting jumping-off point post-utrh for Jason, but that's somewhat besides the point.)

[steviescrystals]

me in fifth grade when my own mother asked me if i was a lesbian (being bi wouldn’t even cross my mind until three years later) 👁️👄👁️

[splendidcyan]

Mecha companions and radioactive monsters clash in a solarpunk post-apocalyptic world. Is all that is different also harmful to humans?

STRANGE LANDS: A Journey Through A Rebuilt Earth was nearly all of last semester's illustration class, and by far the biggest project I've ever done. I'm only realizing now that it's only been put in my portfolio, not on my socials. I learned a ton and a half from this so I think it's important to post! As I'm about to enter my final semester of illustration classes at university, I think it's really fun to post my progress on social media, even if it means seeing SO many things I could have done better omg (nobody pay attention to the fact that I called the main mecha Lancelot-13 AND Lancelot-14 ggbgbgb)

I've been revisiting Nitara and Lancelot-14 so I wanted to show you all the original before I finish the remix, haha! I really love them and I can't believe I haven't shown anyone on socials them yet lol. The point of this project was to build a world, not so much a story. We designed characters, NPCs, environments, and some props, and had regular check-ins before our final "booklet" we turned in, which is what you see here. I've since gone back and painted out a few more things that were only WIPs here (time crunch wahoo), which I'll upload later. But for now, enjoy my babies from spring this year!

[starscreamfireworks]

i went to my school’s open house to talk to them about changing my schedule because. You know. it’s much better to change your classes around BEFORE you have to go to them. and they straight up just told me “nah we’re not changing them rn. ask about it on the first day of school.” like alright then guess i’ll just explode

[fuckingarataswespeak]

I'm so scared of losing my friends

[antifainternational]

Since youre antifascist, how about you give us a definition of fascism? What exactly makes someone a fascist? (and in case you use terms such as left-wing or right-wing be sure to define them too)

Guess it's been a while since a clever Anon challenged us to define fascism, huh? Right, let's get into it: Via the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum:

Yale professor Jason Stanley:

“Fascism is a creation of race hatred and its politically organized expression.” - Willhelm Reich, The Mass Psychology of Fascism (1933).

“Fascism is capitalism plus murder.” - Upton Sinclair

“Repression by brute force is always a confession of the inability to make use of the better weapons of the intellect — better because they alone give promise of final success. This is the fundamental error from which Fascism suffers and which will ultimately cause its downfall…that its foreign policy, based as it is on the avowed principle of force in international relations, cannot fail to give rise to an endless series of wars that must destroy all of modern civilization requires no further discussion. To maintain and further raise our present level of economic development, peace among nations must be assured. But they cannot live together in peace if the basic tenet of the ideology by which they are governed is the belief that one’s own nation can secure its place in the community of nations by force alone. ” - Ludwig von Mises,  Liberalism: A Socio-Economic Exposition (1927).

“Spent most of the day reading fascisti leaflets. They certainly have turned the whole country into an army. From cradle to grave one is cast in the mould of fascismo and there can be no escape … It is certainly a socialist experiment in that it destroys individuality. It destroys liberty.” -  Harold Nicolson, The Harold Nicolson Diaries : 1919-1964 (2004).

“The liberty of a democracy is not safe if the people tolerated the growth of private power to a point where it becomes stronger than the democratic state itself. That in its essence is fascism: ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or any controlling private power.” - Franklin D. Roosevelt

“A fascist is one whose lust for money or power is combined with such an intensity of intolerance toward those of other races, parties, classes, religions, cultures, regions or nations as to make him ruthless in his use of deceit or violence to attain his ends….If we define an American fascist as one who in case of conflict puts money and power ahead of human beings, then there are undoubtedly several million fascists in the United States.” - Henry A. Wallace

“Fascism is the cult of organised murder, invented by the arch-enemies of society. It tends to destroy civilization and revert man to his most barbarous state. Mussolini and Hitler might well be called the devils of an age, for they are playing hell with civilization.” - Marcus Garvey,  Authors take Sides on the Spanish War, 1937 Philosophy Tube's breakdown of the elements of fascism is very thorough and recommended if you're not the reading type. But do you read books? We hope so if you're looking to engage in political discussion about anything. Here are some books that tackle the definition of fascism, in whole or in part, that we would recommend to you (check/order from your local library!) Mark Bray's highly-accessible Antifa: The Anti-Fascist Handbook is a great starting point for this topic.

Columbia history professor Robert O. Paxton's excellent book The Anatomy of Fascism goes into this in great detail.

There's also Umberto Eco's The Eternal Fascist

or his "practical list for identifying fascists" as well as Hannah Arendt's seminal The Origins of Totalitarianism

We hope you weren't looking for a simple answer to the complex question of "what is fascism?" Anon, just as we hope you're up to taking our challenge of checking out all of the above so you're curiosity is satisfied and you're well-versed on the topic.

[hummingbird-hunter]

Biology class, fifth or sixth grade, I think. The teacher asks us to name the signs of life. Breathing, I say, – respiration, that is. Nutrition. Excretion. Growth. Reproduction. Death.

Wrong, she says. Death is not a sign of life. But, why not, I wonder. Everything alive dies. Is that not a sign?

She asks the same question a week later. Respiration, I answer. Growth and development. Nutrition. Excretion. Movement. Reproduction. Death.

Wrong, she says. Death is not a sign of life.

Why not, I ask. Everything dies.

Not necessarily, she answers.

I don't get it.

I'm older, and I learn that lobsters don't die from old age. They just keep growing until they're too big for their exoskeletons, and too exhausted to shed them.

Later yet, I learn of the immortal jellyfish.

It's interesting how we, as people, portray immortality.

In books, movies, folk tales, – it seems to follow the same structure. Take vampires, for example. While certainly romanticized in modern media, they still retain their important characteristics. Not breathing. Not feeding, except for on blood. Not aging. Not dying.

Immortal, but only because they're not alive in the first place.

In DnD, creatures like vampires and liches are described as always evil. Soulless undead, giving up life to pursue immortality and power.

Hubris. That seems to be a common theme in stories of immortality. How hubris of man leads him to reach for something he was never meant to take. Hubris, that leads him to forsake his humanity.

Hubris, because only hubris would lead one to do something so unnatural, so against the whole idea of life they were given.

I think of lobsters.

I think of the immortal jellyfish.

No one has ever accused them of hubris. I don't think I'm that much different from them.

I think of the pervasive idea of cursed immortality we, as people, came up with.

I wonder what my sixth grade biology teacher would think about it.

[probablyasocialecologist]

For those who are totally unfamiliar with the works of Karl Marx, can you please explain how one must distinguish between his early works and the later works that you describe as "eco-Marxism"?  Marxism is known for socialism, and socialism is often described as the exploitation of the working class. Capitalism has a tendency to increase technologies and promote innovations because of market competition. But Marx thought that once the workers take over power and kick out the capitalists, they can utilize the development of productive forces for the sake of themselves — more wealth, more well-being. But there is one problem: Sustainability. Because as Marx started to study natural sciences later in the 1850s and 1860s, he came to realize the development of technologies in capitalism actually don't create a condition for emancipation of the working class. Because not only do those technologies control the workers more efficiently, they destabilize the old system of jobs and make more precarious, low skilled jobs. At the same time those technologies exploit from nature more efficiently and create various problems such as exhaustion of the soil, massive deforestation, and the exhaustion of the fuels, and so on. Marx came to realize that this kind of technology undermines material conditions for sustainable development of human beings. And the central concept for Mark at that time in the sixties is metabolism. He thinks that this metabolic interaction between humans and nature is quite essential for any kind of society, but the problem of capitalism is it really transforms and organizes this entire metabolism between humans and nature for the sake of profit-making. Technologies are also used for this purpose. So technologies are not for the purpose of creating better life, free time and sustainable production, but rather it exploits workers and nature at the same time for the sake of more growth, more profit, and so on. My point is basically Marx was quite optimistic when he was young in terms of the development of technologies, but later he came to realize actually technologies have more damaging impact on both humans and nature. So he became more critical of that possibility of solving those problems of poverty and ecological problems using technology. That's how the issue of degrowth and eco-socialist ideas came to be central for his ideas.

[yuri-is-online]

Since enough time has passed that I can reasonably assume you saw the Book 7 update, any thoughts on what happened with Kalim and Jamil? It’s certainly interesting how Malleus’s very naive/limited idea of happiness and his lack of understanding of his schoolmates are very much on display here.

The girls are fighting

- 🦐

So I want to get ahead of a few points, namely that "Malleus isn't creating the dreams himself" and I want to point out that while he isn't personally creating each and every detail, when casting the spell he did so with the intention of creating a world in his image of happiness. That means a world where no one knew loss, which he says before using his magic so while it is fair to critique posts like the one I am currently making for claiming "Malleus doesn't know his classmates is putting too much blame on him personally when he isn't tailoring their dreams-"

It isn't exactly because if he did really know his classmates he would understand why his idea of happiness is so flawed, which I think is sort of the idea of the chapter. Malleus does not understand humanity because he is (practically) immortal, and he is actively resistant to it for a variety of reasons, all of which have to do with the fact he is still practically a child. He is experiencing character development because he is growing up, me saying "wow he doesn't understand shit" is not meant to be a personal attack on him it is just me reading the chapter. This bit with Kalim and Jamil really made me think about him weaving a world with no loss into his spell, the dreams are actively removing things that would cause the individual students to experience loss, as a result creating more of it. Kalim loses the real Jamil, but he also loses his gained awareness of the reality of the Scalding Sands's class system. Jamil loses his status as a servant, but he also loses his perspective on life. Going back to the previous dreams, Rook loses Vil's friendship, but gains a world where his idol achieved his dreams. Loss hurts, but it is essential for growth. Malleus hates this because, as he says at the start of Diasomnia, he fails to see why he is so powerful if it doesn't get him what he actually wants. What he wants is Lilia and genuine friendship like he has with Yuu, and his magic can't get him that for real so he's accepting store bought.

Keeping this theme of removing the possibility for loss from people's lives, I'm most curious about what Ruggie and Cater's dreams will be like. Will Ruggie have both his parents? I can't even begin to think about Cater- I think his dream might be genuinely depressing. There's a lot of potential for it to be super disturbing and I kind of hope he gets a card, just because it would suck if his dream was used for comedy. I think that should go to Deuce, I think he should be wearing glasses and using a bunch of big words he doesn't understand and that Ace and Grim should call him a dork.

Speaking of Ace I want his dream to involve Yuu staying in Twisted Wonderland. I am manifesting it, I am begging Miss Yana please, he was so chill about Yuu leaving saying it was a bridge they'd cross when they get there, Miss Yana please I want him to cry. I want him to break down sobbing when he has to admit Yuu can't stay in Twisted Wonderland forever I want his unique magic to manifest in a goddamn dream because of how desperate he is- why are you running and calling emergency services, hello I am so very hinged and not remotely sleep deprived- PLEASE PLEASE PLAESE AKSAJBRGKJRGDRHGJ

[cetaceacyberia]

even MORE sillies from @superxstarzz's classpect fusions!! this time with a wee bit of analysis below the cut because i have the evil homestuck autism that makes me go crazy about this stuff. also the reason these guys look freaky is because theyre a human+troll fusion

OKAY SO generally i imagine fusedtiers would naturally be far stronger than a regular tier, though not quite as strong as a master class, at least depending on the development of each. They are also, of course, far more specific in nature, leading to highly specialized roles. Anywho, here's my interpretation of the classes featured here. I'll probably end up doing more later. Apologies in advance for my wordiness. I know there's a lot of speculation about the role mages play, so I'll provide a brief explanation of how I interpret them first.

Mages, in my opinion, are the active counterpart to seers, being able to take the knowledge they gain through or recieve from their aspect and put it into action. For an example, a Mage of Space as is a component here would be able to take the knowlege of the behaviors of elements and atoms, and be able to manipulate them at their will, provided they know what they're doing, and it's physically possible, alongside being able to ascertain. This can be seen with Meulins ability to form relationships out of seemingly nothing and Sollux's pension for causing doomsday esque events (aradia, sgrub, the like)

Prophet of Design

Prophets, in my opinion, would take the prediction abilities of the seer and the active knowledge mages can use and be able to speak events into reality.

Prophets tend to be extremely high strung people. The suffering that comes with being a mage and the all-consuming knowledge that comes so easily to seers create a scenario in which it's very common for them to slip into anxiety about the events they cause. The butterfly effect, if you will. Prophets do not use their powers carelessly, each move is thought out and incredibly calculated. Prophets are, naturally, blindingly intelligent, being the fusion of the two knowing classes. This can manifest itself in many ways, though the shortcomings mages often experience in relation to their aspect can often cut down their confidence, leading to a prophet underestimating themselves constantly. Despite their anxious tendencies and low self-conciousness, prophets can also be very snarky and sarcastic, when not gleefully oversharing about whatever piques their interest at the moment.

Design would be the merging of the concepts of fate and inevitability with the universe, creation and physics. Design players have domain over the physical outcomes of things. Reactions, from chemical to physical, even quantum at a higher level, all of that is within the control of a Design player. So!! i think a Prophet of Design would be able to speak into reality the outcomes of reactions they create or observe. For example, prophet would be able to do something like say "when i take a step forward, I will actually be twelve feet ahead of where i would have been" and just have that shit happen. As they get stronger, their prophecies can becomem more long term and more drastic, from being able to speak into reality an event that will happen some time in the future to prediting events that might not even be physically possible normally. Beholder of Birth

A beholder, a class that combines the insane growth potential of a page and the mage's expansive knowledge to produce a role of one that is able to expotentially build on the knowledge they have of their aspect. To create entire knowledge trees given the smallest bit of information. From a basic fact to the most niche, minute detail, none of it can escape the gaze of a Beholder. A fully realized Beholder would know, quite literally, everything there is to know when it comes to their aspect, which can be an enormously vast amount when it comes to Space or Time players.

Beholders are natural detectives, though it never comes easy. It starts as the beholder starts to make connections, faint at first but with a sure sign there's something more. Often ones to second-guess their findings, but once they dig deeper, and their ideas are validated, there's nothing stopping a beholder from uncovering everything there is to know from that one initial spark. For lack of a better word, beholders are quirky people, kind but stubborn, and their ascenion often is hindered by that trait due to the help they might need at first. They might get knocked down easily at first, but are wickedly determined, and bounce back quickly and eagerly learn from their mistakes, often brute-forcing their way out of problems. Thanks to the manipulation of knowledge that comes with their Mage counterpart, rising the ranks is far easier for a Beholder than a Page, though roadblocks are to be expected with their headstrong attitude towards growth.

Birth is the merging of creation, physics and the universe with the mind, logic and raw information. I think these would blend into birth players being in control of the inception of very nearly anything. How exactly they can control this depends on the class, of course, but birth players hold the essence of creation in their very soul,

A Beholder of Birth would have the ability to hold an object and see everything that lead up to its creation, how it was created, and everything that happened to it. Not just objects either, but people and other living things. A fully realized Beholder of Birth could potentially have the full knowledge of everything that has ever happened in the universe, from before the big bang to the very end of it that was no doubt caused by the activation of SBURB and everything in between.

[talonabraxas]

The Kerubim, “The Strong Ones”

An “Angel” (Greek angelos or “messenger”) is considered to be a heavenly spirit, a messenger or intermediary between God or the gods and humankind. All religions possess one inherent commonality–the relationship of human beings with the Spiritual realm. In ancient Greek religion, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, this relationship is thought to involve angels–divine messengers sent to humans to instruct, inform or command. An angel can function also as a protective guardian, as a heavenly warrior, and even as a cosmic power. Moreover, the line between a good angel and a bad angel, or demon, is sometimes unclear.

Therefore, angels can be broadly described as personified powers meditating between the Divine and the human. Even in its devotion to monotheism, ancient Israel was able to embrace the image of a council of gods by turning all of them into angels that serve the One God. This acceptance of a belief in angels was a development made relatively easy because lesser gods and angels could be referred to as “sons of God.” Later development in both Judaism and Christianity shows a remarkable growth of angelic folklore as a result of continuing this ancient practice of absorbing the gods of polytheistic religions by turning them into angels.

After the period of Israel’s Babylonian exile (597-538 BCE), Jewish thought about angels was considerably altered and enriched. Drawing on Mesopotamian art, artists and writers began to provide wings, even for the anthropomorphic angels, and an interest developed in angels’ garments, names, and relative ranks. In addition to the Mesopotamian influence, the Persian dualistic tradition of Zoroastrianism added another dimension to the Jewish conception of angels by positing hostile and destructive angels who are rebellious against God. The Jewish Qumran sect, or Essenes, saw the world as a battleground, the scene of the struggle between the Spirit of Truth and the Spirit of Wickedness, the latter an angelic power opposed to God called Belial or more commonly, the “Devil.”

In Judaic Angelology, there are nine classes of Angels: the Seraphim, Kerubim, Thrones, Dominations, Powers, Virtues, Principalities, Archangels and Angels. According to Henry Cornelius Agrippa, in his Three Books of Occult Philosophy, aspects of the Elements can be attributed to the natures of these orders of Angels as follows: Fire to the Seraphim, Authorities and Powers; Water to Thrones and Archangels, Air to the Dominations and Principalities, and Earth to the Kerubim. Placed in superior hierarchy are the supercelestial angels, who, mediating the pattern of Divine Will, are: the Thrones as the Wisdom of God; the Seraphim as the Goodness of God, and the Kerubim as the Essence and Form of God. As stated by Agrippa, from the Angelic Orders humankind is strengthened with extraordinary attributes.

“From the Angels, Mankind perceives messages of Divine Will and a clearer comprehension of the Mind of God. From the Archangels, humanity obtains rulership over beasts of the field, fish of the sea and fowl of the air.”

From the Principalities, all things are overcome, engendering a comprehension of the ascendancy of all things, and drawing spiritual power to oneself by a secret and divine force. From the Virtues come the power and strength against enemies of Truth. From the Powers, the ability to conquer these enemies within ourselves. From the Dominations, subjugation of these adversaries. From the Thrones we are woven together and collected into ourselves with remembrance fixed on Eternal Visions. From the Seraphim we acquire the perfect flame of Love, and from the Kerubim comesthe light of mind, the power of wisdom, and the exalted images by which we contemplate the Divine.

As stated in Three Books of Occult Philosophy, the Hebrew theologians numbered and called these orders as follows: in the supreme province, are the Chayoth ha Qodesh, or Creatures of Sanctity, to which EHEIEH gave the gift of life. In the second place are the Auphanim, Forms or Wheels, whereby YHVH differentiated the chaos. In the third place are the Aralim, great, strong and mighty angels, by which YHVH joined with Heh (HHYVH) to provide form to the liquid matter. In the fourth place are the Chasmalim by which AL framed the image of bodies. In the fifth order are the Seraphim by which ELOHIM GIBOR drew forth the elements. The sixth are the Malachim which ELOAH produced metals. In the seventh sphere are the Elohim or Gods, by which YHVH TZABAOTH produced vegetation. In the eighth reside the Beni Elohim, Sons of Gods, by which ELOHIM TZABAOTH produced animals. The ninth and lowest sphere contains the Kerubim by which SHADDI EL CHAI created Mankind.

The above has been a short introduction into the realm of Angels. The subject of the Kerubim alone could involve voluminous amounts of information as there are many different classes and functions of the Kerubim–they are not simply limited to the Sephirah of Yesod. The Elements have their analogies at every level, and these attributions can be applied to every Sephirah, but particularly the central Sephiroth on the Middle Pillar. The Kerubic forces of Kether descend the central Column from Kether to Malkuth. This is indicated by the Kerubic signs about the corners of the Tarot Trump XXI, The Universe. Malkuth is the sphere of the Elements and Yesod is its foundation, which, being on the Second Plane, is the sphere of contact with Natural Forces. Tiphareth is the Sephirah from which the Elements are controlled, the Sephirah of the Elemental Kings (Elementals which have begun to respond to Spiritual vibrations).

The Seraphim (derived from the word “Seraph” meaning “burn”) are another class of angels considered to be an upper octave of the Kerubim. Their function is to burn false doctrine and convert man back to righteousness. It is said that they pass on information drawn from the Neschamah during sleep, to the Creator in Atziluth, for the Seraphim are the Holy of Holies, or the Highest Heaven in Briah.

The focus of this paper, however, covers only those Kerubim which include Gabriel, the Angelic Choir of the Kerubim of Yesod, the Archangels of the Elements, and the Right and Left-Hand Kerubs, Metatron and Sandalphon.

Gabriel

Gabriel’s name comes from the same Hebrew root as Geburah (GBR) indicating a relationship between the 5th and 9th Sephiroth. Gabriel serves a triple function, Annunciator, Guardian and Guide. Gabriel is the divine messenger who relays information between the Divine and humanity and bestows the gifts of vision, hearing and psychic abilities as well as the powers of life, procreation and equilibration. This angel is referred to as Gabriel Yesodel (Archangel of Yesod) and as Gabriel Kerubiel (leader of the Kerubim).

As an angel of high eminence in Jewish, Christian and Muslim tradition, Gabriel is one of the four most often noted in Judaism and Christianity, the others being Michael, Raphael and Uriel. Gabriel is the heavenly messenger who appears in order to reveal God’s will. In the Old Testament, Gabriel interprets the prophet’s vision of the ram and the he-goat (Daniel 8:15-26) and explains the prediction of the 70 weeks of years (490 years) for the duration of the exile from Jerusalem (Daniel 9:21-27). In the New Testament, Gabriel announces to Zacharias the birth of his son, John, who is destined to become known as John the Baptist (Luke 1:11-20), and in Luke 1:26-31 reveals to Mary that she is to be the mother of Christ. Among Muslims, Gabriel is believed to be the spirit who revealed the secret writings to the Prophet Mohammed. As the Annunciator, Gabriel is most likely to speak to us through dreams.

Gabriel means “Strong one of God” or “Strength of God.” As seen by the position of Yesod on the Tree of the human psyche, the name is not without reason. From the position on the central Pillar of Consciousness on the Tree, Gabriel is the firm and stable foundation of the Spirit. As Yesod in the World of Briah, it is the ego consciousness of Briah, and the Sephirah occupied by Gabriel is a crucial one. It is the last stage before the aspirant reaches the Kether of incarnation, or the Tiphareth of Briah, for beyond lies the threshold between Raphael in Hod and Haniel in Netzach. At this point, he is still Man but may be referred to as “Hero of God” under the guidance of Gabriel. To pass, the initiate must rise up the Tzedek Path of Righteousness where the shadow side of the personality is destroyed, and all remnants of being as a separate entity are dissolved. Only then can one attain Tiphareth in Briah and come under the direct influence of Archangel Michael, or “One Who Is Like Unto God.”

The Kerubim

The Kerubim can be conceived of as a reflection of the Four Holy Living Creatures of Kether, the powers of the Eternal Elements. The duty of the Chayoth ha-Qodesh is to formulate the primary pattern upon which the rest of existence is built. These Kerubic forces descend the Middle Pillar to Yesod where the Kerubim, as the structural powers of the Universe, support this existence. Therefore, the Kerubim are the formative powers of the Elements stationed in the sphere of Yesod, the etheric substructure that supports the physical universe. As these etheric powers, the Kerubim are the formative forces of the world and humankind. As Angels of Lunar Yesod, the Kerubim also have an association with time, the four Kerubic points in the year which are the Hermetic Qabalah’s cross quarter days. Their name means “the Strong Ones” which is derived from the Akkadian word Karibu which means “one who prays” or “one who intercedes.”

The work of the Kerubim is to influence communication between the inner and outer worlds by serving as Guardians, Heralds, Equilibrators and Guides. They work on the building of knowledge and the harnessing of force in etheric or Yesodic methods. One of these methods is the use of symbols relating to Yesodic perception within the depths of the unconscious mind. With the progression of time, these symbols become less ritualistic and more psychic, becoming tools in the hands of the aspirant. These images are the contents of the Treasure House of Images, and the forces behind these images are the Angels of Yesod.

The Tetradic Kerubim are the animated powers of YHVH working through the fixed signs of the Zodiac. As given in Exodus 25:18-19 and 37:9, their shapes represent the aspects of the four dynamics of the Elements. These energies are not the Elements themselves, but rather are placed between the Angels and the Elements in hierarchy. One of the functions of the Kerubim is to take these energies and set them into motion and as such,, this Choir of Angels has a direct affect on the Earth and Man. As presidents of the Elemental Forces, these Four Kerubim are each assigned one of the letters of the Divine Name YHVH, and they operate in and through the four astral Elements in Yesod before these Elements are formulated in the physical world of Malkuth.

This Tetrad serves as Equilibrators by creating a stable nucleus from which the physical world comes forth into being. These four Vice-Gerants of the Elements, under the Presidency of Spirit (Gabriel), are synthesized in the formula of YHSHVH. Yod, Lion, Nequaquam Vacuum, Nowhere a Void; He, Eagle, Libertas Evangelii, Liberty of the Gospel; Vau, Man, Dei Intacta Gloria, Unsullied Glory of God; and Heh (f), Ox, Legis Jugum, Yoke of the law; and in the midst of the four letters is Shin, the letter of Spirit, which, formed from the Tetragrammaton, gives the Divine name of Yeheshua, The Pentagram represents the concentrated force of the Spirit and the four Elements governed by the five letters of the Name of the Restorer, YHSHVH and is not only attributed to the planet Mars, but also shows the Kerubim and the Wheel of Spirit. The Kerubim of Ezekiel have four faces, those of the Lion, the Bull, the Man and the Eagle, alternating with each other by rotation. Beside them was the symbolic form of the Spirit, symbolized by the wheel. As suggested by the two wings that covered their bodies and the two wings that stretched upwards to each other, the synthesis of the Kerubim is found in the revolving Cross, in the Pentagram, and in the idea Spirit dominating the four Elements.

The Kerubim are winged celestial beings which, unlike most conceptions of angels as anthropomorphic, are zoomorphic. On the 32nd Path between Malkuth and Yesod, the Zelator encounters these Four Kerubim who perform elemental purifications which aid in the alchemical transformation of the aspirant. In this ritual, the aspirant learns that the Elemental Spirits are invoked through the power and governance of the Kerubim and their Zodiacal symbols. They are given Hebrew names but their appearance is primarily Egyptian:

Adam (Hebrew for Man), Kerub of Air, stationed in the East, human-headed Aquarius. “The Priest with the Mask of Osiris spake and said, ‘Thou canst not pass the Gate of the Eastern Heaven unless thou canst tell me my name’.” of which is replied “Thou art NUT, Goddess of the Firmament of Air. Thou art HORMAKU, Lord of the Eastern Sun.”

Aryeh (Hebrew for Lion), Kerub of Fire, stationed in the South, Lion-headed Leo. “The Priest with the mask of the Lion spake and said, ‘Thou canst not pass the Gate of the Southern Heaven unless thou canst tell me my name’.” Of which is replied, “Thou art MAU the Lion, Very Powerful Lord of Fire. Thou art RA, the Sun in his strength.”

Nesher (Hebrew meaning Eagle), Kerub of Water, stationed in the West, Eagle-headed Scorpio. “The Priest with the mask of the Eagle spake and said, “Thou canst not pass the Gate of the Western Heaven unless thou canst tell me my name’.” of which is replied “HEKA, Mistress of HESUR, Ruler of Water, is Thy name. Thou art TOUM, the Setting Sun.”

Shor (Hebrew meaning Bull), Kerub of Earth, stationed in the North, Bull-headed Taurus. “The Priest with the mask of the Ox spake and said ‘Thou canst not pass the Gate of the Northern Heaven unless thou canst tell me my name’.” of which is responded, “SATEM, in the abode of SHU, the Bull of Earth, is Thy name. Thou art KEPHRA, the Sun at Night.”

The arrangement of the Theoricus Hall of only four officers suggests the conciliatory Element of Air reconciling the opposing energies within the Hall, resulting in a perfect balance of forces. The number four is associated with Chesed, the first Sephirah to manifest below the Abyss, but it also refers to Yesod as the firm foundation within which the Four Elements are given etheric form which then later materialize in Malkuth during the course of the Lightning Flash.

In the Theoricus Ritual, as the Hierophant addresses the candidate on the meaning of the Cross within the Triangle, it is stated that the Cross, placed upon the Altar at the base of the Tree of Life, refers to the Four Rivers of Paradise. It is Gabriel who rules the “Living Water streams that well from out the Highest Throne.” “…And he showed me a pure river of the water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.” (Revelations 22:1). These Rivers are referred to in Genesis 2:10-14: “And a River, Nahar, went forth out of Eden to water the Garden, and from thence it was parted and come into four heads. And the name of the First River is Pison, it is that which compasseth the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold. And the gold of that land is good. There is Bdellium and the Onyx stone. [–Leo.] And the name of the Second River is Gihom, the same as that which compasseth the whole land of Ethiopia. [–Scorpio.] And the Name of the Third River is Hiddekel, that is it which goeth forth to the East of Assyria. [–Aquarius.] And the Fourth River is Euphrates. [–Taurus.]” This indicates the Presidency of Spirit (Gabriel) over the four Elements.

In the Zelator Ritual the aspirant is told. “And Tetragrammaton placed Kerubim at the East of the Garden of Eden and a Flaming Sword which turned every way to keep the Path of the Tree of Life, for He has created Nature that Man, being cast out of Eden, may not fall into the Void. He has bound Man with the Stars, as with a chain. He allures him with scattered fragments of the Divine Body in bird and beast and flower, and He laments over him in the Wind and the Sea and in the Birds. When the times are ended, He will call the Kerubim from the East of the Garden, and all shall be consumed and become Infinite and Holy.” …. “This drawing of the Flaming Sword of the Kerubim is a representation of the Guardians of the Gates of Eden.

As the Qabalah teaches, the everlasting abode of the Higher Self is in the Eden of Paradise, the supernal sanctuary which is forever guarded from chaos by the Flaming Sword of the Kerubim whirling across borders of the Abyss. After the descent from Grace, the Kerubim were stationed at the Abyss to separate the Supernals from the effects of the Fall.

The Four Kerubim, through their assignation to the four Archangels, are Four of the Seven in the Presence of the Lord. This description of the Kerubim is from John’s vision (Revelations 4:7-8): “And the first beast was like a lion, and the second beast like a calf and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle. And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night saying, ‘Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, is and is to come.’ ” Here, the Kerubim are seen as single-headed but having six wings, thus uniting the powers of the number seven (the Planets) with the number four (the Elements).

The Invisible Stations of the Hall of the Golden Dawn

The Stations of the Man, the Lion, the Bull and the Eagle are the Four Cardinal Points without the Hall and these are the invisible Guardians of the boundaries of the Temple. They are placed according to the Four Winds and are stationed beyond the thrones of Hierophant, Dadouchos, Hiereus and Stolistes.

The Kerub of Air, behind the throne of Hierophant, is the power of the Goddess Hathor who unites the powers of Isis and Nephthys. The sign of Aquarius, the zodiacal sign of Air, is the Water-Bearer, the container of Rain. The Egyptian name for the Sign of Aquarius is Phritithi.

The Kerub of Fire, face and form of a lion, with large, flapping wings, is behind the throne of Dadouchos, and is the power of the Goddess Tharpesh or Tharpheshest. The action of the Lion Kerub is through the Flaming Fire of Leo with the Egyptian name of Labo-Ae.

The Kerub of Water, which has the face and form of a great Eagle with large, glinting wings, is behind the throne of Hiereus. It is the power of the God Thoomoo, and his operation is through the Sign of Scorpio, which is called in Egyptian Szlae-Ee (in Egyptological works the name of this god is Tum or Tmu).

The Kerub of Earth has the face and form of a Bull with heavy, dark wings and is situated behind the throne of the Stolistes. It is the power of the God, Ahaphshi, operating by the Sign of Taurus and its Egyptian name is Ta-Aur.

Sphynx, the Synthesis of the Kerubim

The Sphynx is a synthetic of the Kerubic figures. In the Ritual of the 32nd Path leading into the Theoricus Grade, it is written, “The Sphynx of Egypt spake and said, ‘I am the synthesis of the Elemental Forces. I am also the symbol of Man. I am Life. I am Death. I am the Child of the Night of Time.’ ” As stated in Regardie’s Golden Dawn: “Now learn the mystery of the Wisdom of Egypt: ‘When the Sphynx (synthesis of the Kerubim) and the Pyramid (synthesis of the Elements) are united, thou hast the formulae of the magic of nature. These are the keys of the wisdom of all Time; and its beginning–who knoweth it? In their keeping are the sacred mysteries and the knowledge of Magic and all the Gods.”

According to Levi in Transcendental Magic: “You are called to be the king of air, water, earth and fire, but to reign over these four living creatures of symbols, it is necessary to conquer and enchain them. He who aspires to be a sage and to know the Great Enigma of Nature must be their heir and despoiler of the Sphynx, his the human head, in order to possess speech; his the eagle’s wings in order to scale the height; his the bull’s flanks in order to furrow the depth; his the lion’s talons, to make a way on the right and the left, before and behind.”

The Kerub, or Symbolic Bull, which Moses placed at the gate of the edenic world bearing a fiery sword, was a Sphynx which had a bull’s body and a human head. It is the Assyrian Sphynx, symbolic of the combat and victory of Mithras. This armed Sphynx represents the Law of Mystery who watches at the door of initiation to warn away the profane.

The Mosaic Kerub also represents a great mystery in which the elements are expressed by the number seven, without, however, giving the final word. This word is what the Qabalists write as YHVH and interpret by Aleph Resh Aleph Resh Yod Tau Aleph, expressing the triplicity of the secondary principle, the alliance between the triad and the tetrad, in a word composed of four letters, which form seven by means of a triple and double repetition. This word is pronounced “Ararita.”

The universal key of all magical operations is that of the ancient religious doctrines, and it is the key to the Qabalah, the Bible, and the Lesser Key of Solomon. With this key, we are able to understand the enigmas of every Sphynx and penetrate the Mysteries–and the key is this: (1) a hieroglyphic and numerical alphabet, expressing by characters and numbers, a series of universal and absolute ideas, (2) a scale of ten numbers, multiplied by four symbols and connected with twelve figures representing the twelve signs of the zodiac and (3) the four angels of the cardinal points.

The symbolic tetrad, represented in the Mysteries of Memphis and Thebes by the four forms of the Sphynx, i.e. the man, eagle, lion and bull, correspond to the four elements. Now these four signs, with all their analogies, explain the one word hidden in all the Mysteries. It is the name of the four primal letters of the Ineffable Name: YOD, symbol of the paternal scepter of Noah; HE, the cup of libations and also symbolic of maternity; and VAU which emerges from and joins the two. This is the triple sign of the triad in the Divine Word; but the mother-letter, HE appears a second time, to express the fertility and abundance of Nature and of woman to concisely express the doctrine of universal and progressive correspondences, which descends from cause to effect and ascends from effect to cause. Moreover, this sacred word is not pronounced, it is spelled, and expressed in four letters which are the four sacred words, Yod He Vau He.

Metatron and Sandalphon

One of the most common appearances of the Kerubim is the great dyad of Metatron and Sandalphon. These two holy Kerubim are the Sentinels of the Briatic Mother Temple of Light. Metatron is the Great Masculine Kerub, corresponding to the White Pillar of Yakhim, and Sandalphon is the Great Feminine Kerub, corresponding to the Black Pillar of Boaz. These Two Pillars, positioned on the right and left sides of the Tree, are symbolic of the concepts of Active and Passive, Male and Female, Adam and Eve and refer to the Pillars of Fire and Cloud which guided the Israelites in the wilderness. In the Theoricus Ritual, the hot and moist natures are further marked by the Red Lamp and the Cup of Water. These Two Kerubim are the Angels of the Devir, the Holy of Holies of the Hebrew Tabernacle and Temple. In this Temple, one inunense pair of Kerubic Images spread their wings from wall to wall and a smaller pair stood at the two ends of the Ark itself. Between them was the Kaporeth, the Presence of Yahweh.

Eheieh denotes breath and the sound that every being pronounces all its existence, and it is the Name of the Lord of Life. By the inspiration and expiration of Eheieh through the two Great Pillars (Macroprosopus is Aima and Abba, Mother and Father), all things are thrown into vibration. As Guardians over Malkuth, Metatron and Sandalphon are the Two Pillars, but the work of these Dyadic Kerubim is not solely relegated to the role of Guardians. They function also as Equilibrators, balancing opposites and defining the center, the place of balanced power. As Equilibrators, these Two Kerubim are closely related to the Egyptian Godforms of Isis and Nephthys. Nephesch ha-Messiah (also called “Kerubim”) is the animal soul of Messiah, or the Shekinah, and is the Presence between these two Kerubim. The Shekinah represents Aima Elohim, the Supernal Sephiroth as a synthetic unity of the Divine White Brilliance. Since this is spoken of as between the Kerubim, it is the Middle Pillar of the Tree and as such, is the Path of the Redeemer.

The vibrations of the Briatic World of Kether are shown through the influence of the mighty Archangel Metatron, the Great Angel of the Presence and the World Prince. Also called the “King of Angels,” Metatron was the guiding angel that led the children of Israel through the wilderness. Metatron, alone, sees the Face of God. He presides over the Tree of Life in its entirety and is considered the Right-hand Masculine Kerub of the Ark. It is said that Metatron communicated the Qabalah to humankind, and as stated in the Abodah Zarah of the Talmud, he is the “teacher of the prematurely dead children of Paradise.” He is known as the Metatron Ketheriel and is also called IOEL – “I am God.” Metatron functions as the link between God and Man, and the vibration of this Archangel’s name will generate a yearning to return to God or the pure state of Kether. Therefore, he is the guide or source of aspiration in attaining the higher levels of the self and by vibrating his name, we draw down that part of him to aid us in this effort.

The effect of the Briatic World of Malkuth is through the Archangel Sandalphon. She is also the Left-hand Kerub of the Ark of the Covenant. Translated from the Greek “Sandalfon” which means “Co-Brother,” Sandalphon is considered the twin of Metatron or another form of this Archangel. Another translation of the name is “Lord of the Extent of Height” and because of this remarkable height, she is said to be able to reach her twin in Kether, which points to the idea that Malkuth is Kether–but after a different manner. As the Archangel of Malkuth, Sandalphon reconciles the material energies which are brought forth into the physical world. She is also said to convey the power and beauty of the natural world to the Souls of humanity and influences worldly affairs in general by creating the building blocks and designs for each civilization.

On the Microcosmic Tree of Life, Malkuth of Briah is the equivalent to the self of Man. The archangel Sandalphon watches over the Kether (the most spiritual essence) of the physical body and the Tiphareth (the consciousness) of the psychologically unawakened individual. When initiates begin to evolve, Sandalphon guards them as the Neschamah grows, always keeping consciousness on the Middle Path. As the Neschamah becomes stronger, an image of the Briatic World, the realm of Spirit, begins to form. Slowly a foundation is formed on the lower portion of the Briatic Tree, and the initiate begins to perceive and comprehend the images of this World, as is demonstrated by the Chariot and Throne of the vision of Ezekiel. It is here that the creation of a purified consciousness is originated, and with this fusion of consciousness comes the development of an awareness in the Ruach triad. When the crystallization is complete, when it is stable within, it is no longer a passing flash or a gift, but a permanent foundation.

Conclusion

The word “Kerubim” might be better understood as a matter of function, rather than as a title, indicating the working together of groups, or polarities, i.e. dyads, tetrads, enneads, etc. Viewing the Tree as functioning simultaneously, the Elements originate in Kether through the Fylfot or the Spiral–“God breathes.” Chokmah is the pure, inexhaustible force of this “breath,,” and Binah is its vehicle of definition. These two Sephiroth originate the channel whereby the Kerubic forces descend the Middle Pillar, and the Side Pillars maintain this passageway through which they move. These Elemental forces are drawn forth across the Abyss by Geburah, working in conjunction with Chesed which equilibrates them, and it is these two Sephiroth which bring these forces through to individualized potential. They are then manifested as the heart of self through Tiphareth which rules and controls them. Netzach and Hod duplicate the efforts of Chokmah and Binah and of Geburah and Chesed in the lower personality of the self; and it is in Yesod, or the ego consciousness, that these Kerubic forces are structured. Malkuth is the manifestation of these elements within the physical body, the grounding of the circuit. The function of the Kerubim seems to be in guarding the gate of this action.

art: Spitblossoms

[misscammiedawn]

hi misscammie i am super curious, how far can hypnosis change someone if the subject is willing?

Thank you for asking. This is a multi-layered answer and I want to do my best to give the most realistic and thoughtful one possible.

Hypnosis is a state of hyper-suggestibility and though there have been significant studies that prove it alters the brain's ability to perform lateral processing during trance, it is not yet fully understood. (study source)

It should be noted that highly hypnotizable participants indicate a much higher degree of impact during these studies. Brain plasticity is an interesting little study unto itself but the short version is that a number of people, particularly those with conditions that alter the brain's development, tend to be more suggestible than the general public.

What this essentially means is that hypnosis is not magic but it is effective as both a focus and as a framework for legitimate conditioning and that is its own branch of psychology...

Research on habit formation shows that it takes about 2-3 months of consistent repeated behavior to forge a habit with 10 weeks being when a behavior becomes second nature, which is to say that it is an unconscious act. When you don't have to think about something to perform the action that is equivalent to hypnotic compulsion or brainwashing. The only thing that changes is the language used and how you view it.

Which is to say...

What can a human be conditioned to do? How far can a willing participant alter their behavior?

And that is... well, let's just say I cannot pull studies that have that answer because we have ethics committees. I'd be better off checking declassified CIA papers during the Cold War for that and therein lies the line between willing and unwilling, play and application, fantasy and reality.

Hypnosis and conditioning are effective tools for training behaviors, conditioning responses and most importantly creating associations. The brain is very good at creating associations and very bad at breaking them. There is a phrase within hypnosis training that came up in both of our certification courses "the unconscious does not recognize negative instruction" which is essentially why 'don't think about a pink elephant' will always cause a person to think of a pink elephant.

So that's one limitation right there. Hypnosis can help in breaking habits but even in hypnotherapy settings one is more capable of getting someone to stop smoking by creating new associations with the act such as feeling queasy than it is breaking the existing behavior in the habit.

No matter how willing a participant is you will have difficulty brute forcing away things. This comes up in my personality play soapbox a lot and one of the bigger dangers of hypnosis.

So what about creating new behaviors, associations and conditioning?

My assumption is this question is not asking about behavioral conditioning for therapy so I'll just discuss play aspects.

I know people in the community who believe hypnosis can be used to change a person's body chemistry for autonomous weight control, growth, getting a full night of sleep in a few hours and other such physical changes. The big one is breast size control because hypnokinksters are going to hypnokink. There is no evidence that backs this up and any testimony has to be taken with an understanding that the participants may have altered perception.

Quite simply I do not believe the body works that way and have read no studies that indicate it does. My mentor who taught my second hypnosis study had a full class on saying "no you can't" with a focus on weight control, though he mentioned the breast thing by name during the class. He wanted to make ethical practioneers of us and was adamant we would not try to sell any form of hypnosis which was preying on vulnerable people wanting to make changes.

But behavioral change? Whether it hypnosis or classic Pavlovian conditioning? You can make a person bark at the sound of a bell quite easily.

In our teen years we were conditioned to spell a certain word always capitalized. It's been 15 years and we do not even talk to the person who conditioned us but she trained the behavior and it still works. Fairly confident that one could search this blog and see evidence of that.

Altered perception such as waking hallucinations is a matter for the hypnotee and how suggestible they are. The response can be trained but it takes time, patience and a resilience to failure. I do not know if that conditioning helps a hypnotee be able to create visual hallucinations or trains them to provide the desired reply.

Visual modality has never been our wheelhouse, I'm afraid, so when I (more accurately when Dawn) work(s) with visual hallucinations the suggestions are packaged. It's not a simple 'you will see your partner as beautiful when she turns on her Fae glamor' suggestion, it is layering asking the hypnotee to feel emotional replies, suggesting some things like the glow of skin or the way hair moves and how those things will make a hypnotee feel and how their voice will hold focus and attention and be as near to magic as possible.

Then it's less 'you will see this' and more 'these are the things you understand glamor to be and the way that glamor feels and when that glamor is activated you may be reminded of these things and experience them either by emotion, altered perception, focus or simply knowing that you are following a suggestion which implies the magic cast on your mind' kind of thing.

Hypnosis's limits in that regard are about the people participating. The imagination and skill of the hypnotist and the suggestibility and ability to follow along of the hypnotee.

Once again those with a higher susceptibility to hypnosis will have a more vivid impact when it comes to visual hallucinations and it is key to note that on brain imagining dreaming and psychosis happen in the same area. They look remarkably similar on EEG. Studies indicate the same is true for hypnotic hallucination too. Which is essentially recreational dreaming.

As before I simply do not know if this susceptibility can be trained or if it is subject to the brain's neuroplasticity. I should read more.

On our own scale we do not really need to worry. Hypnosis is a form of guided dissociation and our brain does that plenty without guide. Half the reason we enjoy hypnosis so much is we take to it like a duck in water and it can be a positive and recreational way of enjoying this little quirk of ours. So long as one stays with trustworthy hypnotic partners, anyway...

All this is to say, hypnosis can be used for a ton of things. But it takes sustained effort and good faith. Be safe out there.

[gallifreyianrosearkytiorsusan]

Growing

Author's note: Zadakiel's next chapter.

Past =-= Next

Warnings: Implied Astartes and Human relations. Talks about how to deal with bullies. The advise comes from an Astartes soo... Yeah. Not anything else I can think of? Let me know if I need to add anything...

Summary: Zadakael has to allow his tiny Bonded to go to this thing called 'pre-school' and is totally N O R M A L about it.

Tagged: @barn-anon, @bleedingichorhearts, @c-u-c-koo-4-40k, @egrets-not-regrets, @kit-williams,

Tagged continued: @sleepyfan-blog, @whorety-k, @ms--lobotomy @bispecsual @thevoidscreams

Tagged continued: @i-am-a-dragon34, @gra93fruit-blog

“Lovely and perfect,” Zadakael continues to croon a lullaby in High Gothic as he gently rocks his tiny bonded asleep. 

His bonded human’s parents had met him, and had a friend who had an Astartes to help translate what was going on. They had been understandably, been a bit uncertain when they’d first heard that he’d bonded to their darling, fragile, tiny child. 

But he had slowly started to prove himself to them, and was wonderful with their daughter. Who was usually wonderfully and well behaved around him. If they were unable to get her to sleep, his gentle hold on her and his crooning singing would put her to sleep faster than anything else could or would.

The new parents were grateful to have an extra set of hands that didn’t need as much sleep. Granted, he had his own schedule that he followed for his duties as a Space Marine who ended up on Ancient Terra. He’s grateful that his new Captain was understanding and allowed him to bond with his new human. And that his hours of duty shift and training were changed around so that he could help his human’s family tend to his almost an infant Bonded.

At first he had been terrified to touch his precious Bonded. For they were so young and fragile, and his hands were covered in the blood of so many. He had learned gentleness when he learned artistic pursuits and he still continued to indulge in his hobbies.

Although part of him snapped and snarled and hissed when his precious, tiny bonded was in the arms of her parents he didn’t stop them from doing so. Sternly reminding himself that their family is also important for their growth and development. He’d researched all he could on Good Child Rearing Practices as well as taken lay-classes for child rearing and what not.

That had also eased the worries of his Bonded’s family when they saw how serious he took his duties towards his bonded. He’d been taking classes for the primary language that his humans spoke at home, which was different from the one that was the dominant language of the area. So he was easily learning languages at once to ensure that he’d be able to help his tiny human learn to speak multiple languages.

Spanish, he learned, was the name of the language that their family spoke, while English was the language that was spoken by the baseline humans in the area that he had landed in. His tiny human had several older siblings who thought he was Super Cool.Some of their elderly relatives seem to be more uncertain of him, which was fine.

Being with his tiny bonded, and watching as they grow and their personality take shape fills his hearts with a warmth that has a bitter sting to it as well. One of the things he finds out to his utter dismay is how fast his tiny Bonded is growing. 

It’s something that his Tiny Bonded’s parents commiserate with him over. As they grow, they are taken to ‘pre-school’. Which he grumbles over, he could teach them far more about how the Galaxy truly works than the so-called educators could. He’s seen what sort of homework their older siblings have and he’s unimpressed with how basic and sometimes outright false the information they have to learn is. Although, their literature and arts education is interesting and he can go down rabbit holes seeking more Ancient Terran knowledge about such things.

Still, his human’s parents insisted it would be good for their development to have time away from the house and them. With children her age (there are a few of his fellow Space Marines with Bonded around that age, or with Bonded who have children around that age). He’s pointed that out, and while they do have play dates with. 

But apparently that’s not enough. While both parents are able to work, Zadakael is happy to watch over the children and give guidance and a portion of his pay to help the household. The parents have deemed going to ‘pre-school’ to be important to their development.

He gently holds his tiny Bonded’s hand and walks with them to the pre-school, it’s fairly close to where his human’s family lives. And his tiny Bonded hand clung to him and had been Tearful about paring with him.

He would only admit to himself that he was equally reluctant to part with her. It had taken one of the Salamanders who worked there (with their Bonded Human as one the pre-school teachers) coming out to help calm the Tiny human (and only the tiny human. He wasn’t growling at anyone.) 

Stop judging him To’val! And no, he didn’t linger and watch his tiny bonded for the rest of the day. That would be ridiculous and were blatantly false accusations! He had certainly not needed to be dragged away by an exasperated Ultramarine to go tend to his duties that day. Zariel- stop making that face at him. Judgy Ultramarine bastard.

His tiny Bonded hadn’t wanted to leave his side to go to some stupid Pre-school. But that had been one first few days, they had grown to enjoy pre-school. Happily babbling to him and their siblings and parents about what they learned, and did, and about their friends that they played with on this and that day.

Sure, he occasionally heard of the childish squabbles, but he let his tiny Bonded know that they should Stand Their Ground and that if someone tried to bully them to punch them in the face. That would get them to stop that nonsense. And if someone tried to get them into trouble for it he would talk to the teachers about it.

The parents had been partly scolding, partly playful in their exasperation about what he’d said about defending oneself and one’s friends from bullies. But he was entirely serious about it. Bullying wasn’t something that was tolerated, and it could cause friction and Chaos if allowed to fester. Resentments, hurt feelings, and all sorts of nastiness if not dealt with promptly and with a proportional response.

Some of the children are other Blood Angels and their successor Chapter’s bonded human’s children. He pretends that he doesn’t see how some of the children look like a perfect blend of the human and Astartes's. Especially the children who are male presenting, having bright blond hair and red in their eyes.

[lillified]

hey! curious about what the age/age bracket of hotrod (and by extension the autobot academy bots) is? (would like to know the age of all the characters honestly)

and, if i can get Two For One, what's the life-cycle of an average cybetronian in your take?

thanks for the question! In human years, Hotrod is about 19 or 20, which is on the absolute younger side of most ‘Bots alive and active at this stage of the war. There’s a big “generation gap” where population was severely declining right up to the point of declared war, and many of the sparklings not school aged were sequestered away or straight up “lost.” If the war ends, it’s unclear how they would be reintegrated into society.

For those beginning or early in their education, however, the Autobots, with their government affiliations, quickly swept them up to train them as soldiers (it’s why you don’t see a whole lot of “young” Decepticons, though defectors and exceptions do exist). Megatron is actually on the younger side of the warfaring generation—she’s the youngest of the “big three” Decepticons, and in human years she would be about 29. For comparison, Optimus Prime would be around 35.

The actual life cycle of Cybertronians is a bit complicated. Their rate of growth changes as they age: they grow at a fast pace for the first 50-100 years of life, developing from organic protoform to adulthood, and then once they cross that threshold their biological aging almost completely ceases. Mentally they still learn and develop, like humans, but their bodies do not usually show typical signs of aging. There are ‘Bots who have existed for as long as the Cybertronian race has been recorded (notably Alpha Trion and Zeta, both Primes) and mechanization has only reduced the potential threat of factors like sickness.

Contrarily, though, the lifespan of Cybertronians was actually reduced following the reign of the Quintessons: this is likely due to a combination of factors, like the shortage of Energon, the imposition of a dangerous caste system, large scale conflicts, and the inevitable failure of mechanical bodies. Working class Cybertronians are often much younger than the wealthier society, which only exacerbated the need for limiting factors on class mobility.

[nunyabznsbabes]

The Yellowjackets' Cards

Misty pulls the Eight of Diamonds. Eight traditionally represents resurrection, regeneration, and new beginnings. The Diamonds suit symbolizes the merchant class, autumn, dedication, ethics, confidence, stability, and advancement. The Eight of Diamonds specifically is a sign of healing, passion, and safeguarding.

Akilah pulls the Seven of Spades. Seven traditionally represents warfare, protection, completeness, perfection, grace, and divine mercy. The Spades suit symbolizes the military, winter, water, grief, and loneliness. The Seven of Spades specifically is a sign of certainty, warning, loss, perception, intuition, and kindness.

Van pulls the Jack of Hearts. The Jack is a symbol of common blood, loyalty, good luck, deception, innocence, and new beginnings. The Hearts suit represents the Church, spring, fire, love, vows, and childhood. The Jack of Hearts specifically is a sign of love, youthful passion, emotional support, reconciliation, and the pursuit of inner knowledge.

Shauna pulls the Four of Diamonds. Four traditionally represents creation, completion, mental stability, change, and freedom. The Diamonds suit symbolizes the merchant class, autumn, dedication, ethics, confidence, stability, and advancement. The Four of Diamonds specifically is a sign of strength, a need for confrontation, sensitivity, dissatisfaction, defensiveness, stubbornness, rebellion, intuition, good fortune, new beginnings, change, and charm.

Travis pulls the Ace of Clubs. The Ace historically represented bad luck, but in the present day it represents strength, authority, power, and victory. The Clubs suit symbolizes agriculture, peasantry, summer, youth, and the earth. It is also the lowest-ranking suit in games that prioritize suits. The Ace of Clubs specifically is a sign for good luck, prosperity, abundance, power, and influence.

Tai pulls the Six of Spades. Six traditionally represents power, imperfection, humanity, broken connection, restored connection, union, romantic union, materiality, and success. This number is also associated with Satan/the Beast. The Spades suit symbolizes the military, winter, water, grief, secrecy, loneliness, obsession, and development. It is also the highest-ranking suit in games that prioritize suits. The Six of Spades specifically is a sign of infidelity, dishonesty, turbulence, rootlessness, growth, denial, avoidance, change, change, and renewal.

Melissa pulled the Three of Hearts. Three traditionally represents power, cycles, life and death, divinity, completeness, fulfillment, and perfection. The Hearts suit represents the Church, spring, fire, love, vows, and childhood. The Three of Hearts specifically is a sign of success, love, opportunity, and aid.

Javi pulled the King of Spades. The King is a symbol of masculinity, maturity, control, and command. The Spades suit symbolizes the military, winter, water, grief, secrecy, loneliness, loss, and development. It is also the highest-ranking suit in games that prioritize suits. The King of Spades specifically is a sign of reason, logic, authority, discipline, justice, dominance, charm, observation, cruelty, obstacles, and boundaries. Reversed, the King of Spades is a sign of irrationality, control, judgement, and dishonesty.

Natalie pulls the Queen of Hearts. The Queen is a symbol of leadership, authority, confidence, femininity, and power. The Hearts suit represents the Church, spring, fire, love, vows, and childhood. The Queen of Hearts specifically represents unconditional love, compassion, creativity, intuition, healing, counseling, warmth, and self-love. In a reversed meaning, the Queen of Hearts is a sign of insecurity, fragility, dependence, self-sabotage, martyrdom, and over-giving.